Holy Cross high school has reached into the family for a trio of hires for its athletic program.
Nick Saltaformaggio, ’77, leaves Hahnville to become the school’s new head football coach. Former Tiger defensive lineman Roland Barbay, ’82, returns to join the football staff, and Ryan Hess, ’95 will be the school’s new wrestling coach.
School headmaster Sean Martin said “family is a constant above all else.”
Saltaformaggio will be a head coach at a third school since the 2013 season. Then, he led East Jefferson to the 2013 class 4A championship, defeating Neville in the semifinals, and Karr in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Classic.
He left East Jefferson for Hahnville. Saltaformaggio led the Tigers to the 2017 class 5A championship game.
“Holy Cross is home,” said Saltaformaggio.
He noted that in 1958, head coach Bear Bryant left Kentucky for Alabama, his alma mater, because “Mama called.”
Saltaformaggio also served as head coach at St Bernard high school, Chalmette high school, and at Oconee County, Georgia, the latter after Hurricane Katrina.